October 15, 2025
Governor Newsom Draws Line On Reparations: Approves Study, Vetoes College Preference For Slave Descendants
The outspoken Democratic governor called the college bill "unnecessary," which author Democratic Assemblymember Isaac Bryan referred to as “more than disappointing.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is giving mixed signals on where he stands in the continuous fight for reparations after he approved a $6 million study, but vetoed a bill permitting colleges and universities to give special admission consideration to descendants of slaves, The Associated Press reported.
The bill, amongst several supported by the California Legislative Black Caucus, was introduced over the past two years in an effort to fight against decades of discrimination in housing, education, the criminal justice system and more. However, Newsom called the college bill “unnecessary,” which author Democratic Assemblymember Isaac Bryan referred to as “more than disappointing.”
“While the Trump Administration threatens our institutions of higher learning and attacks the foundations of diversity and inclusivity, now is not the time to shy away from the fight to protect students who have descended from legacies of harm and exclusion,” Bryan said in a statement.
However, there are a few reasons behind Newsom’s decision. He said universities “already have the authority to determine whether to provide admissions preferences” to slave descendants. He also considered the legal ramifications that could come with the bill being approved.
According to Politico, critics allege the move would be a violation of Proposition 209, which prohibits the state’s public universities from considering race in admissions, due to the controversial U.S. Supreme Court overturn of affirmative action in 2023. It would also add to the scrutiny behind the Trump Administration’s most recent crackdown on recruiting colleges to abide by his anti-diversity, equity and inclusion agenda.
President Donald Trump called on nine colleges and universities across the country, including the University of Southern California, to adopt the administration’s vision for America’s education campuses. They are committed to adhering to priorities surrounding admission policies, women’s sports, free speech, student discipline, tuition affordability, and other key areas.
He gave school leaders until Nov. 21 to make their decision, but Newsom already spoke out, saying Golden State schools have no plans to conform. “California universities that bend to the will of Donald Trump and sign this insane ‘compact’ will lose billions in state funding — IMMEDIATELY. California will not bankroll schools that sign away academic freedom,” the governor wrote in a stern post on X.
However, one school, California State University, will be busy working on some of the bills created by lawmakers, including one that requires the college to develop procedures that will identify those who qualify as descendants of slavery, in addition to creating a state agency — the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery — responsible for administering reparations.
Chair of the Black Caucus and Democratic state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson said the law, which she authored, will help California acknowledge its painful past.
“This bill represents hope, responsibility, and a commitment to make right what was wrong for far too long,” she said.
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